]]>Well, as you may have guessed, there is no absolute answer to that.
It always depends on the individual.

Some like to have an actual office space. Others do not mind working in the comforts of their homes.
Both have benefits and disadvantages.

When you work in an office off-site, you clearly separate work and your personal life. You probably stick to the usual office hours as well, bringing some routine into your life.
A problem might arise, however, if you have a deadline of a big project coming up, so that you might find yourself in the situation to spend more time at the office than at home.

On the other hand, when you work from home, you have the comfort of wearing whatever clothes suit you, and taking breaks whenever you want.
The problem might be that you feel that you always have to be available to work, and that you feel that you have less and less time to yourself as you do not clearly separate work and private life any longer.

No matter which working environment you prefer, do not forget that you love what you do – and that is translating.

]]>The moment you start working on a translation, make sure that you keep your client involved in the project.

Be transparent and inform your client about your progress.

Get back to them to clarify text passages you are not absolutely sure about. Ask them for special terminology databases or glossaries they usually use to keep the consistency in their published materials. And make sure to find out the correct target group.

By involving your client from the beginning on, they will feel as involved as you are, and they will be more likely to come back to you for another translation project.

]]>At first glance this question may sound a bit weird, but when you get a proofreading project offered, make sure to find out who did the translation in the first place – a human or a machine.

Unfortunately, it becomes more and more common that clients provide you with a machine translated text that ‘only’ needs a bit of proofreading – and they are dead serious about this translation.
Therefore, they often ask you to reduce your estimate as they already have this translation for you that only needs a bit of ‘freshening up’.

How do you respond?
Well, as in all cases, there is no black and white scenario here either.
Give it some thought, and ask yourself: Do I really want to tweak a machine translation into something beautiful? Or would I rather start from scratch and create a magnificent text on my own?

When finding your answer, make sure to carefully balance all the pros and cons, and remember: You are the expert!

]]>Just imagine getting a phone call or an email from someone asking you to go work on a translation project for them. You will probably think, yes, of course, I would love to do that, right?
However, before making a decision, try to get as many information about the project as possible.

First of all, ask to see the source material before committing to anything. You never know what you will end up with.

Second, make sure that the source material lies in your field of expertise. Ask yourself if you really feel comfortable translating, for instance, legal or medical documents. If the answer is no, decline the job offer. In the end both you and your client are better off.

Third, once you have decided that you want to go for the project, be honest to your client on how much time you really need translating. Never make any unrealistic promises on how much work you can take on.

Fourth, always deliver on time or even before schedule. This is absolutely the professional way to do it. Your client will be delighted and may come back to you for future projects.

All in all, if you consider those very simple steps, you can establish a mutually rewarding working relationship with your clients.